Fixing the bridges of Warren County

Josh Cotton

Staff Reporter

jcotton@timesobserver.com

The Warren County Commissioners are working to spread bridge funding around the county.

Commissioner Ben Kafferlin said that a request was received from Brokenstraw Township for roughly $70,000 in county Act 13 funds towards the construction of a township bridge over Irvine Run.

Kafferlin said the commissioners have been requiring a 10 percent match and that the balance is the fund is approximately $160,000.

The total project cost is $88,000, he told the board, and that the township is willing to match the 10 percent plus an additional $8,000, requesting that the county fund the rest.

Kafferlin noted that other projects that have been funded included requests more in the $50,000 range.

Commissioner Jeff Eggleston said he is not opposed to funding the project if the township has the match.

Commissioner Cindy Morrison asked if the commissioners are going to cap the total per project allocation.

“It’s currently not capped,” Kafferlin said.

“This had been built up over a period of time,” Eggleston said, noting that the funds had not been utilized under previous administrations. “Now townships are jumping on board with it. (I want to) dole money out as much as we possibly can to get the bridges fixed. There’s no point in saving it, in my opinion,” speaking in support of getting the “money utilized.”